When tomorrow's rankings update comes out, there will be a change in the Jacksonville linebackers. Myles Jack, who had been slotted for the middle linebacker spot, will be down. And Paul Posluszny, who had been working at strong side linebacker, will be more highly ranked. Again.
Buffalo moved on from Posluszny a few years back, while Jacksonville hoped to move him into a lesser role with Jack hogging tackles in the middle. But the team is apparently scrapping that experiment, giving Posluszny a chance to do what he's been doing for years -- racking up tackles.
Over the last five years, 44 linebackers have gone over 130 tackles, so about nine per season. Only two have done it four times in those five seasons: Posluszny and Lavonte David. The one time he didn't do it, 2014, he was injured half the season (and still had 69 in seven games -- on pace for what would have given him five straight seasons with 130-plus.
Be careful not to overdraft the much-hyped Jack. Posluszny should be this team's most productive linebacker.
130-TACKLE LINEBACKERS, 2012-2016 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Pos | Solo | Ast | Comb |
2013 | Vontaze Burfict, Cin. | OLB | 114 | 57 | 171 |
2016 | Bobby Wagner, Sea. | MLB | 85 | 82 | 167 |
2012 | Luke Kuechly, Car. | MLB | 103 | 61 | 164 |
2013 | Paul Posluszny, Jac. | MLB | 122 | 40 | 162 |
2013 | Kiko Alonso, Buff. | MLB | 87 | 72 | 159 |
2013 | Luke Kuechly, Car. | MLB | 93 | 63 | 156 |
2015 | NaVorro Bowman, S.F. | ILB | 116 | 38 | 154 |
2014 | Luke Kuechly, Car. | MLB | 99 | 54 | 153 |
2014 | DeAndre Levy, Det. | OLB | 117 | 34 | 151 |
2015 | D'Qwell Jackson, Ind. | ILB | 89 | 61 | 150 |
2016 | Zach Brown, Buff. | ILB | 97 | 52 | 149 |
2012 | Chad Greenway, Minn. | OLB | 98 | 50 | 148 |
2016 | Christian Kirksey, Clev. | ILB | 96 | 52 | 148 |
2012 | NaVorro Bowman, S.F. | ILB | 96 | 52 | 148 |
2012 | Jerod Mayo, N.E. | OLB | 88 | 59 | 147 |
2015 | Lavonte David, T.B. | OLB | 85 | 62 | 147 |
2014 | Lavonte David, T.B. | OLB | 101 | 45 | 146 |
2012 | Jerrell Freeman, Ind. | ILB | 90 | 55 | 145 |
2016 | Kwon Alexander, T.B. | MLB | 108 | 37 | 145 |
2013 | Lavonte David, T.B. | OLB | 107 | 38 | 145 |
2013 | NaVorro Bowman, S.F. | ILB | 120 | 25 | 145 |
2016 | Sean Lee, Dall. | WLB | 93 | 52 | 145 |
2014 | Curtis Lofton, N.O. | ILB | 99 | 45 | 144 |
2012 | James Laurinaitis, St.L. | MLB | 117 | 25 | 142 |
2014 | Paul Worrilow, Atl. | ILB | 84 | 58 | 142 |
2013 | D'Qwell Jackson, Clev. | ILB | 75 | 66 | 141 |
2012 | Bobby Wagner, Sea. | MLB | 87 | 53 | 140 |
2012 | Paul Posluszny, Jac. | MLB | 106 | 33 | 139 |
2012 | Lavonte David, T.B. | OLB | 112 | 27 | 139 |
2012 | London Fletcher, Wash. | ILB | 78 | 61 | 139 |
2016 | Preston Brown, Buff. | ILB | 79 | 60 | 139 |
2014 | D'Qwell Jackson, Ind. | ILB | 81 | 57 | 138 |
2016 | Alec Ogletree, L.A. | MLB | 98 | 38 | 136 |
2013 | Stephen Tulloch, Det. | MLB | 93 | 42 | 135 |
2013 | Chad Greenway, Minn. | OLB | 83 | 51 | 134 |
2012 | Daryl Washington, Ariz. | ILB | 108 | 26 | 134 |
2012 | Karlos Dansby, Mia. | MLB | 101 | 33 | 134 |
2015 | Paul Posluszny, Jac. | MLB | 103 | 30 | 133 |
2014 | C.J. Mosley, Balt. | ILB | 89 | 44 | 133 |
2016 | Paul Posluszny, Jac. | MLB | 96 | 36 | 132 |
2014 | Lawrence Timmons, Pitt. | ILB | 87 | 45 | 132 |
2016 | Tahir Whitehead, Det. | WLB | 99 | 33 | 132 |
2016 | Zach Orr, Balt. | ILB | 91 | 41 | 132 |
2012 | Russell Allen, Jac. | OLB | 107 | 24 | 131 |
--Andy Richardson